Vegan Squad Pod

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URGENT! HELP Save the Remaining 2,000 Dogs Facing Cruelty by Ridgland Farms

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:10:00 -0400

Today, Ella Magers and Jessica Nieves share their experience on the front lines of the recent Ridgland Farms Beagle rescue effort. They describe the illegal cruelty toward 2,000 beagles bred and sold for research, including claims of non-veterinary procedures, vocal cord cutting without anesthesia, and escalating on-site experimentation tied to profit. Ella and Jess describe their extensive nonviolent direct-action training, only to be met with tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and injuries, which helped propel the story into national attention. Please keep pressure on officials and continue outreach to secure the dogs’ release before July 1.

HOW TO DEMAND THE RIDGLAN DOGS BE RELEASED:

Call WI AG Josh Kaul at (608) 266-1221 → Dial 4
Say: “Investigate Ridglan Farms and release the beagles into safe homes.”

Form: joshkaul.org/contact-us

Email: County_Board_Recipients@danecounty.gov

Call. Submit. Share.

To sign the petition & donate to the cause, visit: savethedogs.io

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Rap Your Way to Activism: Jimmy Cashpey's Vegan Journey

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:40:00 -0400

Today we're joined by activist and rapper Jimmy Cashpey (James Aspey), who shares how he went from health-motivated vegetarianism to ethical veganism after learning the realities shown in Earthlings. He recounts taking a year-long vow of silence to raise awareness, traveling across Australia visiting sanctuaries and factory farms, rescuing animals, cycling after his van broke down, and breaking his silence with a vegan message on a major Australian morning TV show. Jimmy discusses activism burnout, chronic pain, social media backlash, and why he shifted from purely encouraging outreach to a tougher, more shame-driven honesty he believes is missing. He explains how he now uses “gangster rap” and music videos as strategic activism to communicate animal-rights realities.

We're so excited for you to listen to this amazing episode and we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Thank you for following along and listening to the Vegan Squad Pod! Please share this episode with a friend and subscribe!

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Vegan Activism 101: Insights and Inspiration from Jamie Logan

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:10:00 -0400

Today we interview incredible vegan activist Jamie Logan!! Jamie shares a pivotal childhood moment of seeing pigs in a livestock truck, her gradual transition from avoiding pork to pescatarian to vegetarian, and finally going vegan on January 1, 2018 after learning about the dairy and egg industries. She explains how her activism began through Anonymous for the Voiceless cubes, then expanded to fur protests, food demos, and weekly slaughterhouse vigils that deepened her urgency. Jamie discusses handling common objections with calm, question-based street outreach, avoiding burnout after intense investigations, and using yoga/meditation (Jivamukti Yoga and Sharon Gannon’s teachings) to ground activism in compassion for animals and humans. She also covers navigating family and dating boundaries, and encourages listeners to find their own form of vegan activism.

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Building Your Personal Brand to Amplify Your Activism - Insights From Brand Expert, Coach Alexis Nee

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:30:00 -0400

Today we interview Vegan Squad Coach Alexis Nee on her journey from a miserable corporate finance career and abusive relationship to veganism, coaching, and brand strategy. Alexis shares severe health issues she improved within months of going vegan, and describes a pivotal moment after her dog Baby’s cancer diagnosis leading her from pescatarian to fully vegan, 10 years ago. She explains how personal branding and social media are a powerful form of vegan activism when rooted in authenticity, values, and self-love rather than trends or vanity metrics. Alexis discusses common mindset blocks (imposter syndrome, fear of judgment, perfectionism) and coaches Alex live using “why” questions. And bonus, we announce which previous Podcast Guest Alexis is working with to grow her mission-driven platform and help save more animals!

We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Thank you for following along and listening to the Vegan Squad Pod! Please share this episode with a friend and subscribe!

Book a Free Branding Call with Alexis here: https://calendly.com/alexis-vegansquadcoaching/brandingcall

Attend Alexis’ live masterclasses here: vegansquadcoaching.com/brandingandcontentcreation

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How TheBodybuildingVegan Turned into an Animal Rights Activist - Coach John's Origin Story

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:40:00 -0400

On today's episode, Alex is joined by Vegan Squad Coach Alexis Nee to interview John about his vegan journey, bodybuilding career, and experience with activism. John shares his early experiences with fishing and hunting, becoming vegetarian at 10 after realizing that meat requires killing animals, and going vegan at 13 after reading a PETA magazine about dairy and egg industry exploitation. He describes feeling isolated and bullied, hiding his beliefs, and later finding community through social media. John shares how bodybuilding began at 15, his experience competing at 21, later hiring coaches, and learning accountability, nutrition, and mindset. He argues for the importance of having a vegan coach and demonstrates how real clients are able to get real plant based results. The episode emphasizes becoming a vocal activist and how you can do more for animals through sharing content and wearing vegan apparel.

We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Thank you for following along and listening to the Vegan Squad Pod! Please share this episode with a friend and subscribe!

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There’s No Liberalism Without Veganism - Nemanja Golubovic (AKA @KaleMyName)

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:05:00 -0400

Today we are joined by the amazing Nemanja Golubovic (aka @KaleMyName”)! We discuss activist burnout, living in a vegan bubble, and why diverse approaches - from lively vegan restaurants restaurants to confrontational street action - are ALL needed. Nemanja describes going vegetarian then vegan after learning it wasn’t necessary to eat animals, despite growing up in meat-heavy Montenegro with little exposure to vegetarianism. He shares how opening his vegan restaurant became his form of activism, serving many pre-vegans daily, and details his unexpected rise as a content creator through authenticity, reels, and celebrity shoutouts. Nemanja explains that people with many objections may be future vegans, emphasizes using precise language about animal exploitation, and advises activists to educate others about what they wish they’d known, and to align their advocacy with both animal and human rights.

We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Thank you for following along and listening to the Vegan Squad Pod! Please share this episode with a friend and subscribe!

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The Power of Compassion: Ella Magers on 30 Years of Effective Vegan Activism and Fitness

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:50:00 -0400

Today we're joined by the incredible Ella Magers, longtime vegan activist and fitness coach. Ella shares her journey of going vegetarian at age 7 after connecting meat to animals, later learning about dairy, animal testing, and exploitation, becoming vegan at 15, and doing direct activism with PETA materials, protests, and leafleting. She discusses the pain of awakening, the need for tools and compassion (including self-compassion), and focusing on receptive audiences. Ella explains using positive, mainstream messaging and fitness coaching to promote living vegan, avoiding all-or-nothing mentality, and emphasizing planting seeds for pre-vegans.

We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Thank you for following along and listening to the Vegan Squad Pod! Please share this episode with a friend and subscribe!

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Becoming a Vegan Activist: Lessons from Revolutionary UK Activist Clif Grant

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:05:00 -0400

Today we interview UK animal rights activist Cliff Grant, who shares how childhood experiences on farms and witnessing animal cruelty led him to stop drinking milk at 5, gradually drop animal products, become a strict vegetarian at 19, and fully go vegan around 2013 after seeing Gary Yourofsky’s speech. Grant describes starting activism almost immediately, moving from leafleting to filming street conversations, running an Anonymous for the Voiceless chapter and slaughterhouse vigils, and using social media to reach more people. He explains his calm, nonjudgmental approach: the “four questions” framework and dives deeper into other practical activism tips.

We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Thank you for following along and listening to the Vegan Squad Pod!

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Navigating Vegan Activism with Jack Higgs - Strategies For Effective Conversation

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:25:00 -0400

Join The Vegan Squad and vegan activist Jack Higgs as we discuss effective activism strategies and tools for staying grounded. Jack shares his journey of going vegan in high school after watching documentaries and James Aspey’s speech, joining Cube of Truth outreach, later partnering with activist Tash Peterson, and then filming in viral protest content. He explains his character-based activism (like his viral content as a “dog farmer” offering ‘dog meat’ samples that are actually vegan) to expose speciesism and spark reflection. We discuss anxiety, repeated exposure, and focusing on animals as motivation, along with the value of choosing activism styles that fit individual strengths. Jack shares his knowledge from Anonymous For The Voiceless and outlines a values-based conversation structure that keeps discussions focused, and argues that disruptive activism and backlash can be part of shifting social norms. Please share this episode with a friend so that we can all improve our outreach and have productive conversations with pre-vegans!

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Marching to a Different Beat: Punk Rock, Veganism, and Military Life With Sergeant Vegan

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:25:00 -0400

Today we sit down with special guest, Bill Muir (AKA Sergeant Vegan). Bill shares his vegan journey - becoming vegetarian in 1992 after giving up meat for Lent, then going vegan after learning via PETA materials about the dairy industry's link to slaughter, and being influenced by punk/hardcore culture and bands like Earth Crisis. Our conversation covers vegan community growth from pre-internet days to modern products, the value of wearing vegan clothing, and activism strategies emphasizing honesty without being a jerk and keeping a “big tent” approach. Bill describes his journey of joining the military after 9/11, serving as a medic, and how he navigated the difficulty of being vegan during basic training and deployments, specifically with the limited food options in MREs. Bill also discusses advocacy for vegan MREs with Mercy for Animals. Tune in for another epic Vegan Squad Pod episode as we bring on vegan activists from all walks of life to help share their thoughts for improving vegan activism & reach!

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Nina Bergman on Maximizing Vegan Activism With "Attraction, Not Promotion"

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:35:00 -0400

Today, we are joined by the incredible Nina Bergman! Nina shares her vegan journey of first becoming ethically aware at age 7 after being asked to kill a fish, then later working undercover in slaughterhouses and dairy farms and witnessing extreme cruelty that led to severe trauma and burnout. She explains why she shifted from anger-driven tactics to a more sustainable, strategic approach focused on mental health, choosing a niche, and maximizing impact, focusing on the importance of “attraction, not promotion.” Our conversation covers engaging non-vegans with compassion, activism effectiveness, and building community while reaching beyond vegan circles.

Check out Nina's 12-week “Fierce and Vegan” program which help people become healthy vegans with limited time and resource HERE!

Listen to Nina's TED Talk Here!

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Unlocking Vegan Activism: Systems from Gary Yourofsky's 30 Year Legacy

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:35:00 -0400

On today's episode of the Vegan Squad Pod, we sit down with longtime animal liberation activist Gary Yourofsky for an unfiltered conversation on what effective vegan activism actually looks like. Gary shares the story behind his 1997 mink liberation at an Ontario fur farm, the resulting arrest, 77 days in jail, deportation, and lifelong ban from Canada—and how that moment helped launch his public advocacy. We dive into why Gary frames animal exploitation as an ongoing holocaust, why he believes human-rights advocacy without veganism is hypocrisy, and the tactics he says work best: education, accountability, and forcing people to see issues from the victim’s perspective. Enjoy today's incredible episode!

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Ep. 1 - How You Can Inspire & Change The World Today!

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 16:45:00 -0400

On today's episode of the Vegan Squad Pod, we discuss how vegans can help “save the world” through practical activism, collaboration, and community. With the plan to unite influential vegan leaders in a “mastermind” to share strategies, we emphasize that real impact comes from empowering more vegans to speak up rather than staying silent. Jordan shares how he first went plant-based for heart health after extensive family heart disease trauma, improved his biomarkers, then became vegan after learning about animal oppression through speeches and documentaries, committing to use his voice for animals. Alex explains his vegan journey beginning in environmental concerns, but then how connecting emotionally with animals shifted his perspective toward animal rights. The conversation highlights meeting people where they are, asking questions, planting seeds, and using approachable entry points like sharing vegan food, breaking stereotypes through fitness and visibility, and maintaining mental fortitude with grounding practices and supportive community. We believe that long-term change will be driven by business and demand for plant-based products, supporting vegan businesses, and using platforms like the podcast and vegan coaching community to spread knowledge and inspire activism.

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Ep. 0 - Speaking Vegan Dreams Into Existence: Vegan Squad Origin Story

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 19:24:00 -0400

Welcome to The Vegan Squad Pod!! Today your hosts John Thomas (aka @TheBodybuildingVegan), Alex Nerus (@YourVeganMentor1) and Jordan Siegel (@StrengthAfterCancer), discuss their personal journeys to veganism, emphasizing the power of speaking aspirations into existence and the impact of making conscious, compassionate choices. John shares his success story, starting with humble beginnings and growing a thriving vegan community. The team highlights the importance of vulnerability and authenticity in building meaningful connections and spreading the vegan message. The episode encourages listeners to embrace their paths, pursue personal growth, and contribute to a larger mission of helping people, animals, and the planet!

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